Sunday, October 30, 2011

A poor farmer is on his way home from the market with a small piglet in the back of his cart, a piglet noone wanted at market so the farmer took pity on. The farmer stops to take a break and unbeknownst to him, the new baby princess, Priscilla, and the piglet in an unimaginable series of events, switch places. The farmer arrives home and he and his wife discover the baby girl, and assume that a good fairy has done "this" just like in the story Thumbelina. At the same time, the royal family has discovered their baby girl looks very much like a pig and also assumes this is not unlike what happened in the story, Sleeping Beauty, and decide to raise their daughter as the royalty she is. As you can imagine these two "children" grow up to be much different. References to various fairy tales are made throughout the story with a surprise ending, especially for an unsuspecting princess. Another cleverly crafted story that takes a well-known story, Princess and the Pea, and makes some changes which results in a very funny story. Students may need some background information on some of the stories referenced throughout the story.

This is a fun farmyard introduction to fraction told in rhyme. Starting with a plain cow whose friends decide to paint one half BLUE! Each time a new fraction is introduced, questions prompt readers to think about the fraction as it relates.

"One whole cow patriotic through and through, worse a swimsuit that was red, white, and blue."

The text is accompanied by an illustration which can help readers decide which fraction is the appropriate answer. Extensions, with more complicated fraction related questions, could be developed to accompany this book. Great addition to any school library and/or younger elementary classroom.

Ready for a good laugh? Here it is! BUT I will warn you, you have to wait until the end....and even then it may be a bit of a "delayed reaction"!! Bear loves his red hat. Bear's red hat is missing so he sets off to look for it. He asks every animal along the way: fox, frog, rabbit, turtle, etc. Noone has seen the hat. (My personal favorite response was: "What is a hat?" tee hee hee hee!) Bear is so sad that noone has seen it....BUT WAIT!!! He has seen it....ON AN ANIMAL! He must go find it....and he does.....but what happens to THAT ANIMAL?? Tee hee hee hee! Just gotta read it to find out for yourself! Mid to older elementary kids will enjoy this one. This book lends itself to a great reader's theater - which I think will make the book that much funnier.

Simple, cute, and funny. A young boy watches as other kids hug all sorts of animals: pigs, horses, cats, dogs, etc. BUT is left to wonder, "How do you hug a porcupine?"

"Can you hug some billy goats? Entice them with a bag of oats!And surely you can hug a pig; just spread your arms out EXTRA big."

As each animal is hugged, readers will be left to wonder just how this boy will tackle the prickly job of hugging a porcupine. With a surprise ending, which will leave readers chuckling, this cute book is soon to be a read aloud favorite - as it has become at our house!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

This book is extremely....well, CLEVER!!! Adults will love it....sharp kids will enjoy it....

E has fallen down the stairs and the other letters jump into action to take care of their friend. E is whisked off to the ER by the EMTs with an IV. The other letters soon realize without their friend E there are many words that are not quite right. (After all E is the most used letter in the English language - 12.702%!) O tries to help out but it is soon very obvious that O is just not....E! What are the letters going to do and why is E taking so long to hoal, or rather heal! This book is truly laugh out funny....BUT you may find it difficult to read aloud. Adam and I read it last night and I read the man story to him. I went back and read the conversations going on among the letters and that was even funnier than the main story. If you need a good laugh, check this one out - CLEVER! Very CLEVER!

Birthday time!! Gingerbread Girl is celebrating her birthday and the old man and woman have a gift for her. She can hear the grunts and growls from the package tied with a licorice-whip ribbon. The Gingerbread GIrl carefully begins to lift the top and, as expected, out comes the rush of animal crackers and off they go. Very much like the chase involving the famous Gingerbread Boy and Gingerbread Girl, the animal crackers take off on a race with the Gingerbread Girl following behind, trying to warn the crackers about the danger in their future. Adorable follow up to the Gingerbread Girl story with a cute twist at the end. Clever, fun rhymes throughout.

Marshall Armstrong in new at school. His supplies are different, his hair is different, his shoelaces are different...everything about Marshall Armstrong in different. But Marshall invites the kids over to his house to play and soon the students are not so concerned about Marshall being different. And when Elizabeth Bell arrives at their school, the kids seem more concerned about helping her adjust to her new school. Good book for discussion about differences and acceptance.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Fifty cartoonist come together in this collection of 50 nursery rhymes. From Old Mother Hubbard to The Itsy Bitsy Spider each nursery rhyme is retold with a new twist in comic strip style. Truly a book you must see to enjoy. Kids and adults, and quite possibly more so adults, will enjoy this clever twist on old favorites.

Poor, poor little Cinderella. She had that WICKED stepmother and those MEAN stepsisters. She had to clean all day long and was stuck at home while the others went to the ball. Poor, little Cinderella....OR was she? According to her stepmother, the narrator of this book, Cindy was quite a storyteller. She liked to make up stories about everything. According to her, she and her daughters were the victims. Soon after marrying Cindy's father, he left on business and she was left with Cindy and a dirty house. Well, they could not live like THAT so they all started to work together but cindy was so fast and always finished chores much faster than the others, even with all her storytelling that she did, all the time. And the king's ball was another of Cindy's stories. As soon as she invitation arrived, Cindy lost her voice! Being a good caring stepmother, she made Cindy stay home. The ball was not all it was cracked up to be when a strange girl showed up and stole all the prince's attention. When the prince showed up a few days later with a shoe to try on the girls, Cindy begged to try it on and strangely it fit her. hmmm. Strange. Kids will love this new twist on Cinderella, even some of the boys! Great book for point of view discussion and excellent spring board for persepective writing of their own.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

This is a great FUN book! I don't recall seeing anything like this before. This would be one you might want to hold for 1st - 2nd graders. I read it with Adam (3 1/2) but I had to explain alot as I was afraid he might really believe some of what we were reading....though I was surprised that he picked up on alot! (He is gifted - tee - hee-hee! Teachers are allowed to say that about their own kids! It is in the handbook! :)

From the creator of the Caldecott Honor Book, Interrupting Chickens, comes a new, creatively designed, picture book Love, Mouserella. When Grandmouse is gone, little Mouserella misses her and decides to write a letter to her, complete with pictures! At first she can not think of anything to write but that soon changes and she can't stop. From her exciting news about Willy, her former caterpillar and now a chrysalis, to her trip to the air conditioned museum, with corresponding photo, Mouserella fills in Grandmouse with everything she has missed since leaving. A sweet book, with unique format which will hook children from the beginning to the end. Classroom possibilities for this one is endless.

Using limited yet carefully chosen words and simple pictures, Shane W. Evans creates a great introduction to the Underground Railroad as well as an extension for older students to ponder the steps along the way to freedom for many African American slaves during the 1800s. A family of slaves begins their journey, in the dark, quiet. As the journey continues they learn first hand that fear and endurance join together to bring them to the desired end, freedom. Well written with a powerful message about this time period in American history.

Fall has arrived and George still can't fly. Mom works to try to teach George to fly. Then a gust of wind takes George, in his nest, through the air and on a wild adventure. Mom returns to find George and the nest gone. Meanwhile George has landed on the top of a car, which is now moving! The adventure continues with George and the next flying all over and mom following behind. When the nest is lost, George must finally learn to fly on his own, before he hits the ground below. A sweet story about a mother's encouragement and determination to help her baby finally fly, literally. With a little bit of humor this book is sure to have kids of all ages cheering for George as he finally learns to fly!

"This all started when I asked me mom if I could have a puppy."When a boy asks his mom for a puppy, and she says no, a chain of events is set in motion that ends with "too many dinosaurs"! The boy gets a dinosaur egg from Mr. Jerry's tag sale and later that night he has a baby triceratops in his room. The next morning the dino is in motion and taking off through the neighborhood. The boy returns to Mr. Jerry's tag sale and is sold a dinosaur horn. The boy blows the horn and he is soon surrounded by dinosaurs, too many dinosaurs. Dinosaur lovers will enjoy this latest dinosaur book from the creator of Little Critters. The story and illustrations will have kids of all ages laughing from the beginning until the surprise ending.

Poetry for the dinosaur lover! The poems are short and simple (Level 2 in the I Can Read series).

"Shirts with room for spikes.Pants with holes for tails.Torosaurus turtlenecks.They're all on sale!"

Poetry should be used throughout the year - not just in April - and getting kids hooked on poetry starts early. Find something a child is interested in, match a poetry book, and you show a child that poetry comes in many forms and topics. Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leavesText: 4 Buckeye leaves

Saturday, October 22, 2011

I LOVE this book! Love!!!! Yes, I know I say that alot....and I mean it - this book is cute, funny, mischievous, and really PUSHES the reader to THINK and draw conclusions!! An adorable little chicken, that is part of a farm painting, springs to life and goes exploring. Unfortunately she spills the blue paint, which goes all over the painting, turning everything a new, bluer shade. In an effort to make it better, she makes the other animals even more upset. She is finally able to find some water, to "clean" everything up...at least for a little bit. The limited text pushes the reader to draw conclusion about each illustration and the story. The story begins the minute you open the book, on the first endpage and extends through the back endpages so be prepared to jump in.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Otis the tractor and his friends on the farm are back again! Life on the farm is peaceful with the exception of the mean bull. None of the other animals want to go near the bull because he is so mean and scary. One day a storm blows in. The sky is dark. The wind starts howling. But Otis knows there is something different about this storm. Suddenly the storm stops and all is quiet....too quiet. Otis hears the farmer yell, "It's coming fast, get down in the cellar!" And that is when Otis realizes what is approaching....a tornado. He quickly springs into action to save his friends and leads them to a safe place to wait out the storm. But once there Otis hears a cry.....the bull is still locked in his pen. Otis must hurry to save the bull, the animal that was always so mean to him and his friends. Great story that some students may be able to relate to if they have ever been in a severe storm. We read ALOT of books at our house (and that is an understatement) BUT this is the FIRST - ONLY book that the 3 1/2 year old has actually tried to sneak in for TWO readings during the same "session"....and then requested to take it to bed with him! I think that means he likes it! I really enjoyed this one too as it is a children's picture book - that has suspense and excitement in it. I am anxious to read it to my kiddos at school to get their reaction.

Text: 5 Buckeye leavesIllustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves

Check out Loren Long's explanation for creating his Otis illustrations in his first Otis book by clicking HERE!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

First came the chickens....then the pigs.....and now.....COWS TO THE RESCUE!!!! The Greenstalks are so fortunate to have such loyal animals! The Greenstalks are visiting the county fair and with the loyal cows they have nothing to worry about! Three-legged race with no partner? Problem solved!! Muddy duck? No problem! Ferris wheel fear? Nothing to worry about! Chickens, pigs, or cows, these books always rate high with the 3 1/2 year old critic here! I can see great possibilities for a shared writing activity in the classroom!

Looking for a good tear jerker, gift book....Marianne Richmond books usually deliver! Her newest one is no exception. I barely made it through the first page before the lump formed in my throat...

"You came into our family with a big, BIG job to do, the one of growing up into the one and only you!"

If you can manage to get past this page, each page you encounter new words of wisdom, words often uttered by parents who have been there themselves, to their children. Words from those who know that some days are good, some are challenging, but regardless you must continue to believe.

"When the day dips up and down like a roller coaster ride, I believe in your quick laugh to love the lows and highs."

A great gift book - graduation, parent/grandparent/special friend to child, etc. Love all Marianne Richmond's books.

Text: 5 Buckeye leavesIllustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves

I selected this book today, October 20, 2011.....in honor of an event that took place 3 years ago today, in Karaganda, Kazakhstan.....when a baby boy, dressed in pink, was carried into a room, one of nine babies in that room that morning, yet there was no doubt in my mind then, or now, that he belonged in our family. Even 3 years later, I remember many details of that day.....about the day I held my son for the first time.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

FINALLY! This book has been out 2 weeks and only TODAY have I got my hands on it. For some reason our BIG chain bookstore did not have it....hmmmm.....

Piggie and Gerald are back! This time they are celebrating a special day....it is HAPPY PIG DAY! Everyone is prepared to celebrate the big day, except Gerald. Gerald is feeling a little left out since he is not a pig. Being a good friend, Piggie tries to talk to his friend sensing that his friend is upset. Gerald explains that he can not celebrate because he has a trunk, big ears, is gray, and has no snout. Piggie then explains that they can still celebrate Happy Pig Day together. As a big Mo Willems fan, I was very excited to get my hands on this newest Piggie and Elephant book. I was a little surprised to finally read it though. I enjoyed it - as expected, not my favorite though - but I was impressed that there was a "deeper" meaning to this book. Piggie and Gerald are friends even though one is a pig and one is an elephant. In this book Gerald even lists the differences between himself and Piggie. Piggie then points out, that it is ok to be different. Not sure if this was really Willems' point or if I am reading into it, but was nice just the same. Regardless fans of Willems will be pleased to see Piggie and Elephant back!

UNIQUE! That is in a nutshell a perfect definition for this book! It is one of a kind that I fear may not make much sense as I try to explain it, you have to read it to truly "get it"!.....but here goes... "Look, a puffin! What a marvelous creature, one of a kind and amazing. Indeed, there is nothing like a puffin."A puffin is one-of-a-kind. Take a ladder. A ladder is nothing like a puffin. Not even close! What about a house? Is a house like a puffin? No way! And of course a newspaper is not like a puffin. That is just silly.....or is it? What does a puffin and newspaper have in common? What about a puffin and jeans? A puffin and a goldfish? A great compare/contrast activity which pushes students/kids to look at things differently. I read this book with 2nd graders today and they really enjoyed it. However for kids in central Ohio, more background knowledge about puffins is needed to full understand the text and the Students still really enjoyed the book and caught on quickly. Great book with UNIQUE concept!

Ready for pure fun? Here it IS! Seriously I have read this about 8 times since Saturday (someone is a little obsessed with "the leg book") and every time I find something different laugh at! A very tired little girl is too tired to walk home...(You have to check out the picture of the over dramatic child that is soooo tired and can't walk....HILARIOUS!!) Mom reminds the girl that she made cupcakes this morning and the faster they get home, the sooner she gets one. Even THAT does not work!

"Mom, why can't that house have legs and walk to us?"

This, of course, sets off a whole imaginative world where items have LEGS! Cupcakes, apples, leaves, cars, etc. And before they know it, they are home enjoying a cupcake.

And guess what??!!??? THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT!!! Seriously!! Watching the 3 1/2 year old play on the iPad right now with the app!!!

I am a fan of Emma Dodd. I like her simple, sweet books and adorable illustrations. This book follows that trend. Told from the perspective of a baby penguin, every thing is so big, deep, high, strong but the little penguin in his/her words is "small". However this little penguin to his/her mother is not small but oh so much more! Here it comes....grab a tissue...

"I may be small, but I can see the biggest thing to you is......ME"

This would make a great baby gift for someone OR for your own child....

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Not sure how I came to have these two books on my reserve list at the same time but both books are based on the true story of Louis Soriana, who lives in northern Colombia. The first version, Biblioburro, could be used with any grade level, best suited for primary. The second book Waiting for the Biblioburro, also tells the true life story of Louis/Luis Soriana with more details and Spanish words.

Using simple text, Jeanette Winters tells the story of "Luis", the book lover. One day his wife decided she could not take ONE MORE BOOK in their house (Oh no! I hope this does not happen at our house!!) Luis decides to take one burro and pack it with books. The second burro he will ride. He then heads out to the countryside to bring books to the children that do not have any and have no "library" to use. A more advanced version of the story of Luis bringing books to the countryside. Focusing on a little girl, Ana, this version builds up the anticipation of this special man bringing books to her village. Ana waits with mounting excitement for the day when new books will arrive. She reads, and rereads her book and she waits. Finally the day has arrived and before getting newbook. (The back of the book includes the translations of the Spanish words used in the book! Good thing!)

Both are excellent books, illustrations to text, and a great addition to a classroom library.

Here it comes....the PICK of the day.....prepare for me to GUSH! Just in time for Halloween, The House that Witchy Built is a cumulative tale, inspired by the Mother Goose rhyme "The House That Jack Built", with a Halloween, spooky twist which encourages audience participation!

Dianne de Las Casa (author of other books I have mentioned here such as Cajun Cornbread and Gigantic Sweet Potato) is another author that is "a friend to teachers/librarians" with her website packed with ideas and printables for teachers! Yeah DIanne! Kids are going to LOVE this book and the interaction makes it a great book to read out loud in the next few weeks!

UPDATE: I went back to this site today looking for some pics to use with my kids this week....I was apparently in a fog before as I found a TON of this to go with the book as well as a reader's theater! SCORE!!! Thanks Dianne!

Text: 5 Buckeye leavesIllustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves - Amazing! Look closely! Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves - Adorable! We were not expecting that when we opened the cover! And different at the end!To see the book trailer click HERE!

These are ADORABLE!!! I LOVE the illustrations - so darn cute! AND the endpages! Wow! If you are looking for a basic book about season, here it is! Told in rhyme, each fully illustrated page lists one more "aspect" about that season.

"I see sunshine when I wake. I see families at the lake.I see sailboats passing by. I see seagulls in the sky."

I am NOT a dog person....never have had one, never plan to have one, allergic to them, gets scared when they start barking at me as I am running, you get the idea....I LOVE THIS BOOK! Great words! Great illustrations! Told in rhyme, with adorable pictures of the dogs to match, Hubbell creates a world of dogs of all shapes, sizes, personalities, etc.

At first glance, this book appears to be a simple counting book. However this book is PACKED with great information. Each page another caterpillar appears but none of the caterpillars are the same KIND! Along the way the different wildlife is identified. Once you get to the end you will find all 10 caterpillars, identified with their name, what they eat, and what they look like as a butterfly. Definitely a book that will be added to our butterfly book collection at school (3rd grade does a butterfly unit at the beginning of the year). Great book for young children working on numbers and counting, as well as older students learning about the life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly.

Monday, October 17, 2011

The "story" begins on the front endpages with the identification of the characters. Turn the page to the title page and you see a girl and her father, with bag, walking through a gate while in the front window of the house there is a cat watching them leave. After that the party begins! The animals, even the bear in the picture on the wall, come to life and start having some fun. Go through the book a few times and you will quickly realize how many different "stories" are going on. Did you notice how much the pig ate? Or where did the goldfish in the flower vase come from? What did happen to the dog's shoe? Bet you did not notice the snail....took me about 5 times before I saw him moving....and he moves slow!! Endless possibilities in this book which could span the grade levels - writing activities, sequencing, memory recall. Lots of fun, fun stuff!!

This one is destined.....to make its way into every library!! Lily LOVES to read....and that may be an understatement! She reads all the time...."at night under the blankets" and "in the morning when she was brushing her teeth." She reads through all the seasons and even has earned herself the nickname "Library Lily." One day Lily's mom took her to the park. After some encouragement Lily finally put her book down and (I love this) went to read some signs! Then she encounters an "upside down voice" hanging from a tree. The voice belongs to Milly. Milly thinks reading is boring! GASP! Milly much prefers playing, climbing, and exploring. Together the Milly and Lily learn what they have been missing. Lily learns to explore the great world OUT there and Milly learns that books are not boring! Great book for the Millys and the Lilys in our world! A great book about differences among children - likes and dislikes - and still be able to learn from one another.

Text: 5 Buckeye leavesIllustrations: 4 Buckeye leavesEndpages: 5 Buckeye leaves - Not only do I love when the endpages are used....I like it even MORE when the illustrator creates two DIFFERENT endpages - one set for the front and one set for the back!! Yeah!!!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Cat and Mouse are working together in the garden. Together the two friends go thru each step together as they try to grow a perfect pumpkin. From planting to watering, the two friends take good care of their plant and wait anxiously for the pumpkin.Very cute and informative! Early readers will enjoy reading this book on their own.

The southeast Asia saying "Same, same but different" is often used when describing two different cultures. Two boys, Elliot in America and Kailash in India, discover through a series of letters and drawings how their worlds are the SAME and how they are DIFFERENT but still SIMILAR! From the types of trees they climb to the large amount of traffic to the school bus they take to school (my personal favorite). And at the end, both boys sleep, with the pictures from their "pen pal" hanging on their walls! A FABULOUS look at how our world parallel's others even on the other side of the world. Inspired by her own experiences of a friend living in Nepal, the author/illustrators travels in India and Thailand, and her father's travels around the world.

Tommy has lost his truck. Tommy is very upset about loosing his truck and searches high and low for his truck. "And underneath the bed...And chair. Behind the curtain...OOPS! Not there! I CANNOT FIDN IT ANYWHERE!"Karen Beaumont is back in a rhyming story about a boy that has lost his truck. As in most of Beaumont's books, the text is simple and rhyming. David Catrow in his usual style, shades of green and blue with silly characters, creates the illustrations for this book.

Yahoo for math picture books!!!!kids need to see more connections between literature and math but that is for another day....

Two friends, Rose and Ed, head out to see who can catch the most butterflies. Ed takes an early lead with 10 butterflies on the first day. And Rose? Zero. Things are looking up, slightly, on day 2 when Rose catches 1 and Ed, 8. At first glance, this is an addition book. BUT there is so much more...patterns, predicting, subtraction. Every school should have this book available for teachers to use. AND there is a whole section at the end for ideas of how to use the book in the classroom! LOVE IT!!! Authors/illustrators understanding the busy lives of teachers!!

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About Me

I am the very proud Mom of two book loving kiddos. My two biggest loves are my family and children's books. I have been a school librarian for the 8 years and have truly found my perfect fit job in this position.